De Monte Albán a Atzompa: comparando dos modelos de gestión en la arqueología mexicana

Abstract

From Monte Albán to Atzompa: Comparing two management models in Mexican archeology. Monte Albán and Atzompa are two monumental urban components of the most important pre-Hispanic city of Oaxaca, Mexico. Excavated and opened to the public in two historical moments (1928-1957 and 2007-2020, respectively), they represent two ways of approaching archaeological research and conservation, specifically within the complicated social reality that defines daily life in Oaxaca. An analysis is presented of the ways to position, reconcile, and justify understandings of archaeological monuments in the public sphere (by the Mexican state), with special reference to the paradigms that guided these two projects and subsequent development of the Mexican “archaeological zone.” Each case is treated within its particular context. The paper concludes by discussing contemporary concerns for surrounding local communities, which so often epitomize contradictions inherent to the “cultural good.”